Christof Delatter Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities vvsg.be

1. Formation of tariff policy of household waste management in FlandersETT 53729 – Kiev, Ukraine25-26.11.2013 Christof Delatter Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities www.vvsg.be Tel. +32 2 211.55.99 E-mail: christof.delatter@vvsg.be

2. This Presentation • Legal framework • Tariff policy in Flanders • Pay-as-you-throw • Subsidies • Producer responsibility • Summary of tariff approach

3. Legal framework (1) • Municipalities in Flanders are legally responsible for organization of household waste management (collection and treatment) • Regulated through municipal by-laws • Municipality decides who collects what kind of waste, when and how (within national legal framework) • Own service • Intermunicipal service • Private companies after tendering • No one is allowed to collect waste without assignment from the municipality • A citizen is not allowed to get rid of household waste in a way, different than what has been regulated by the municipality in which he or she lives

4. Legal framework (2) • We strongly believe in the importance of integrated waste management policy on the municipal level because: • good waste management demands close contact with and full participation by the citizens; • this allows optimal community service; • creation of ‘market conditions’ on the local level: access for small companies = more players on the market; • public utilities and private waste management companies push each other to more efficiency and more effectiveness; • pure free market?: uncontrollable and doubtful that private waste management companies would stimulate waste prevention • Financing is done indirectly by the public through municipal taxes

6. Tariff policy in Flanders (1) • Citizen paying the municipalities: • In the past: all costs financed from either the general budget or from a fixed waste tax per family per year • We still see similar practices in other European countries • Linked to water consumption • Linked to surface of housing • But no link to waste produced by the individual family

7. Tariff policy in Flanders (2) • In the 1990ies: evolution to implementation of polluter-pays-principle through: • Introduction of producer responsibility • Shift towards variable fees, linked to the quantity of waste produced by the individual families = P-A-Y-T (Pay as you throw) • Combined with the non-variable costs still being financed from either the general budget or from a fixed waste tax (or mix of both)

8. Tariff policy in Flanders (3)

9. P-A-Y-T (1) • General principles: • Make waste for disposal the most expensive (full cost of treatment): typical for non-recyclable waste • Waste, collected separately, but which can be avoided: charge a part of the cost: typicly applied for organic waste • Other separately collected waste streams: no variable charging • Prevention: is strongly stimulated, for example through the distribution of free home-composting units

10. P-A-Y-T (2) • Practical implentation of P-A-Y-T: • Compulsory use of a household waste bag of a given volume; sold at a certain price • Waste is only collected when presented in waste bags, distributed by municipalities • Examples of tariffs: Waste for disposal: average 1,5 EUR/bag; plastics: 0,25 EUR/bag; VFG: 1,2 EUR/bag

11. P-A-Y-T (3) • Practical implentation of P-A-Y-T: • Compulsory use of a chipped bin • Where the household waste container is weighed and registered when emptied during collection • or the number of times that a container is emptied is counted • Typical fee: residual waste: 0,20 euro/kg – 3 euro/container of 120l; organic waste: 0,15 euro/kg – 2,4 euro/container of 120l

12. P-A-Y-T (4) • Practical implentation of P-A-Y-T: • Collective systems: the underground sorting street • Different subsoil containers, only accessible with identification badge • Financing through prepaid-system linked to badge • Separate fractions: free; residual waste: same rates as for rubbish bags • Requires strong communication, follow-up and enforcement

13. Subsidies • Regional Government subsidies for municipalities: • Voluntary environmental cooperation agreements: commitment to achieve a series of environmental goals in exchange for subsidies • Has been a very successfull tool… • But will disappear in the near future! • Subsidies for specific investments concerning prevention and seperate collection of MSW • Financial impact of subsidies is limited… • …however politically it can make a big difference

14. Producer responsibility (1) • Producer responsibility: producers pay the municipalities a fee for the collection activities: • FULL COST PRINCIPLE • Packaging waste: total cost of collection, sorting and recycling + extra fee for coordination and communication • Other take-back responsibilities: industrial sectors will have to pay a lump sum per inhabitant per year and per ton collected on municipal civic amenity sites • PR for magazines and newspapers, printed publicity, batteries & accumulators, expired medicines, tyres, WEEE, motor-oil

15. Producer responsibility (2) • Producer responsibility: financing by the producers: example of packaging waste } total cost ! Total costs } additional cost France, Italy, Spain,… Belgium, Germany,… No collection of packaging waste Collection of packaging waste

16. Punishing misbehaviour • Illegal dumping • Use of wrong recipient • Putting waste on the street on the wrong days • Littering • Wild dumping in forests • Illegal incineration • Incineration of waste at home is not allowed • Both activities can be fined (administratively) up to 250 euro for each violation !

17. Financing summerized Citizens Industries with Take-back responsibilities Municipalities and intermunicipal organizations Companies for collection and recycling/treatment of waste Waste treatment plants (often intermunicipal) Flemish region

18. Questions ?